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A week ago in the UNSC, South Africa voted against sanctions for Zimbabwe's leaders. The resolution was defeated with the help of China and Russia. The BBC described SA as a Zimbabwe ally pleased with the outcome. The result angered the US and England, the prime movers behind the resolution. In the balance was the marginalization of the Mugabe government which has used violence and intimidation resulting in the deaths of many opposition supporters to remain in power.

A more low key but equally important build up to the vote was taking place on the sidelines as Sepp Blatter through his surrogate, Jeroen Valcke expressed concern at the deterioriating conditions in Zimbabwe which could impact preparations for the 2010 World Cup. Blatter had previously reassured Danny Jordaan that only a natural catastrophe would be cause for the World Cup to be removed elsewhere but in a twist he also mentioned that there was a Plan B with three countries that could be counted on to host the Cup within a year. In his meeting with Jordaan, Valcke had this to say:

'It would have been nice for South Africa, with all the other challenges they are facing, not to have the problem of Zimbabwe on top of it all. We add our voice to concerns and we fully support what is being done by all international organisations,' Valcke said.

Valcke's statement can't be read as anything more than disappointment at Thabo Mbeki's quiet diplomacy which most Western observers reject as tacit support and ineffectual in changing Mugabe's behaviour. They are now rapidly advocating more interventionist tactics, like sanctions and military force.

It is clear that FIFA favours more pro-active tactics for solving the Zimbabwe problem. Even Danny Jordaan has voiced his frustration at Mbeki's go slow approach. Some observers conjecture that Mugabe is on his way out as Mbeki's powers wane and Jacob Zuma asserts control. SA's powerful trade unions are vehemently against Mugabe and a few months ago, the dock workers refused to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying arms destined for Zimbabwe.

Sepp Blatter with the backing of Western Europe (the countries that fill FIFA's coffers with billions in TV and ad revenues) could use the World Cup as a carrot to force Mbeki to abandon Mugabe and force him off the stage, ultimately proving more effective than all the protests, sanctions, and threatened use of military intervention. A huge breach in SA's sovereignty but surely a small price to pay to keep the World Cup.

And how could he do this? FIFA, under Sepp Blatter is now a powerful potentate with many more member countries than the UN and which in the past, has had its way with Africa.

It employs thin skinned retaliatory tactics when dealing with African delegates or resorts to heavy handed suspensions of countries from international competitions for perceived political interference in their national associations. Even FIFA's support of country over club competitions is a capricious artifice when it comes to African players.

So who suspends FIFA for political interference? No one dare.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

John Graham Mellor aka Joe Strummer of Clash fame was a Chelsea fan but that was when it was a club for the working class. His songs railing against fascism, racism and menial jobs resonated with millions in Thatcherite Britain. And his dictum of affordable music for fans almost bankrupted the group. It is clear that Roman Abramovich never took any inspiration from The Clash. Strummer's polemic was aimed at people like him.

So it is a valid question as to whether he would have remained a Chelsea fan in the Abramovich era. We will never know because he died in 2002 before Abramovich took over the club. But I am sure he would have expressed his dismay by penning a not too complimentary song about the oligarch in his inimitable style.

Here is Career Opportunities

They offered me the office, offered me the shop
They said I better take anything they got
Do you wanna make tea at the BBC?
Do you wanna be, do really wanna be a cop?

Careers
Careers
Careers
Ain’t a-never gonna knock

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Quick which one? Or both?

As per Chelsea, two days ago it was Robinho that was supposed to alight on Stamford Bridge on a bid of £40m. Today it is Kaka for double the price. How about importing the whole Brazilian and Portugese team and rendering the Premiership moot? Having Big Phil makes these pipe dreams possible.

But first. What happened to the cost cutting Roman Abramovich? The one that was feted for his 2007 freebies, Claudio Pizzarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim and like the Grinch, stole Mourinho's X'mas. When that happened there was a glimmer that maybe Chelsea wasn't into buying a title. Well, this year Mr Moneybags reverted to type and has already blown 50m on Anelka, Jose Bosingwa, Deco, Branislav Ivanovic, and Franco Di Santo. With Scolari as the gaffer, Abramovich has re-discovered his giddy schoolgirl days which went missing in the monochromatic Avram Grant era which got him bupkis. In this courtship dance with Scolari everything feels pretty, oh so pretty!

Big Phil Scolari knows that there is a downside to doing business with owners like Abramovich where every investment has a depreciative value. This is his moment to be shrill and demanding because he must have observed Rainieri and especially Mourinho wane in power as the years went by. He benefits from a straight line between a deep pocketed owner and a manager at the present moment with his transfer demands.

Jose Bosingwa and Deco's arrival have enhanced Scolari's status and further emboldened him. Public calls to bring on caliber players like Kaka and Robinho puts the onus on the Chelsea owner because a season from now Scolari might have difficulties buying a ball of string.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This weekend we saw Sepp Blatter clutch the Emancipation Proclamation to his breast as he impassionately spoke about the need to free slaves. He dispatched Ramon Calderon who swept through Manchester and set the slaves in United free.

Chief amongst them was Cristiano Ronaldo who living on a paltry £120,000 a week had suffered the horrors of once passing through council houses. Ronaldo would have kissed the earth but he was wearing an ankle cast having been beaten severly by his slave master, Sir Alex Ferguson with a sealed contract.

The nightmare for Ronaldo began when he approached Sir Alex with "Please Sir, can I have some more?" As Sir Alex looked at him disbelievingly, Ronaldo fell to the ground, writhing and moaning, pawing his gonads. A man wearing shorts and a whistle ran out of nowhere and showed Ronaldo a yellow card as a faint smell of porridge wafted through the air.

Sepp Blatter, a portly but kindly man had seen enough. Holy Schnitzles! There is too much inequity in the world. That is why he had filched every vote through bribes and scams. Slaves finish last. It was time for not just Ronaldo but Adebayor, Hleb, and Lampard, good men all to get their 40 yachts and a country. But this would never happen under their present slave masters. If pigs could fly, David Coverdale would be Ian Gillan or Snoop Doggy Dogg.

We have to feel for these schlubs. Hleb lives a miserable life quarantined in Hempstead's claustrophobic silence and stomach turning leafy foliage. Look up chaos. It's west of Vietnam. Lampard's visit to Abramovich's yacht unhappily remindshim of life in Darfur. Ronaldo's slave wages only allows for a £835,000 Bugatti Veyron but because of his grinding poverty he never will get to see an asteroid. That is left to Sergei Brin who can afford to spend £3m on a space flight. Brin is the co-founder of Google which many slaves use to find the address of Ramon Calderon. Surreptitiously.

But here is Sepp Blatter aka Abe Lincoln clear as a bell "I think there's too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there. If a player wants to leave, let him leave." Immortalized, July 10th, 2008. Wunderbar.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ask Diego Maradona and he will spit in Sepp Blatter's eye when he so self servingly talks about players living in modern slavery. It is as laughable as Phil Gramm's dismissal of the dismal US economy as a 'mental recession'.

In Blatter's case, it is a total derailment of reality. Where was this champion of players rights when Maradona along with hundreds of other players were trying to establish the ground rules against exploitation?

Maradona got under the skin of Sepp Blatter with his demands for labour rights for players. Blatter, a suit, dismissed Maradona by saying "The last star from Argentina was Di Stefano."

Blatter on the same day he created a stir by siding with Ronaldo, a stance that the Man U star gratefully internalized by simply stating he was a slave, also reverted to type by undermining South Africa's preparations for the World Cup. Post apartheid SA cannot catch a break whereas a spoilt, petulant superstar who gets paid millions of pounds is supposedly a victim of an inherently unjust system. But it raises the question, who is the slave here? Isn't Blatter a creature of corporations and national federations?

Blatter's statement expressing doubts on SA's preparation came two days before a vote at the UNSC on imposing sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime as Zimbabwe spirals into violence and anarchy. His surrogate also used the opportunity to express concern over the deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe. It is clear that Blatter and FIFA are leveraging the unrest in a neighbouring country to create conditions in addition to national catastrophes that would enable them to move the World Cup to a different country. In short, Blatter threw red meat at European countries, especially Germany and England as well as Australia who in the past have stated their interest in hosting the World Cup should SA fail.

It is not a coincidence that the countries pointing fingers to tardiness in stadium construction and requisite infrastructure are also the ones most displeased with SA's stance towards Mugabe. They are also Blatter's biggest voting bloc essential to his become president. Greasing the palms of powerful office holders with bribes and ticket scams in exchange for their votes has long been a Sepp Blatter speciality.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brad Guzan becomes the latest addition to the most enduring US export to the Premiership. The Chivas USA goalie joins Martin O' Neill's squad subject to Home Office approval on a £2m transfer.

Guzan bolsters a squad short of experienced goalies with Scott Carson returning to Liverpool and Thomas Sorensen released. Guzan should challenge Stuart Taylor who has been with Villa three season but has seen limited opportunities. With his Chivas USA form behind him he should get a chance to prove himself in the Premiership very early.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Had enough of Blatter ? Sign the online petition here..
Meanwhile back at his lair the Blatter has revealed details on his Plan B regarding where to hold the 2010 World Cup should his South African venture blow up in his face.Speaking with considerable difficulty due to having both feet in his mouth he said to Sky News....
"I have spoken to three possible, not only possible, but three associations and countries that would be able to stage the World Cup in one year's time," . "They need one year (to prepare)."

Posted by Anish at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

That is what Sir Alex must be thinking. Some months ago, Sepp Blatter and Sir Alex were whooping it up coming up with proposals limiting foreign player representation that would put the kebosh on clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool. Right down chummy, sharing photo ops making goo goo eyes while crooning into the mic.

Well those moments were ... just moments. Blatter decides that Cristiano Ronaldo is living in 'modern slavery.'

You could almost feel the blood drain from Sir Alex's face.

Yes, Man U operates a modern day chain gang. On hot days, 11 men emerge from their locker room, shuffle onto a field, their legs inextricably bound by a bag of wind, as an overseer barks out orders, and when the day is done, burst into anthemic songs of exploitation and bad food, which are now sung by Sam Cooke.

Ronaldo could not have scripted this better. What are the odds his agent is nodding his head sagely and replacing loyalty with modern slavery in his letter to Man U?

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If this is indeed right the new phenomenon sweeping through Europe augurs poorly for Dunga and his current win at all costs brand of soccer. It makes him look like a Gordon Gekko taking over what was once beautiful and meaningful and rendering it soulless and sanitized.

When will the CFB realize that Brazilian soccer has been on a slow decline ever since the Tele Santana era ended over two decades ago?

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I always think that international competitions like Euro or the World Cup provide much needed correctives.

Fernando Torres muscled his way past Philip Lahm in one of the more indelible images of Euro 2008 to provide Spain's winner. The Liverpool striker was one of the heroes in his country's win against Germany. However his Premiership compatriots Cesc Fabregas and Michael Ballack had a more muted final as the players from the Bundesliga and La Liga provided the most highlights. The final showed Iniesta, Xavi, Senna, Silva, Ramos and Marchena at their sparkling best as they ran over Germany who relied once again on Podolski and Schweinsteiger to spare the blushes.

When you compare the big four contribution to national squads, La Liga and Serie contributed 38 apiece and the Bundesliga topped out with 59 players with the largest numbers going to their own teams. The English league even without England's participation provided 47 players, far ahead of La Liga and Serie. Squads with large representations included Portugal and Netherlands, who despite their bright start could not take their game to the next level. This in some aspects is a reprisal of the 2006 World Cup where the English league found its influence on the wane as the tournament went deeper despite the FA touting publicly the maximum number of players to the national squads.

One wonders why this is so? The English League is overwhelmingly the largest in terms of viewership and revenues. With many of its clubs under the control of deep pocketed ownerships, it doles out the biggest chunk of change for the best talent and the largest overseas contingent of players is evidence of where the sport has shifted. Their clubs took three semifinal spots in the CL cup this year.

But all this is for nought because once again as demonstrated in the Euro it was the other leagues that provided the impact players when national pride was at stake.

One of the biggest differences between the English league and other leagues is the intensity of scheduling and the amount of recovery time it gives its players. The English league with its packed domestic fixtures and international obligations for revenue reasons does not give a winter break to its players, a month which finds other leagues enjoying a breather and players recuperating from niggling injuries. This is especially crucial in years when international competitions take center stage with little lag from the end of the league season. For elite Premiership clubs playing this year's CL, recovery gets even more abbreviated. Players from Man U and Chelsea hyperventilating from the grueling CL final literally flew into Klagenfurt or Geneva from Luzhniki Stadium the next day to start their Euro campaign. Fatigue is cumulative and fresher legs do count for a lot more.

The other reason is more controversial and insidous. The English League's combative attitude frequently pushes players to choose club over country. Jose Mourinho was so incensed by Michael Ballack's ankle surgery peformed by German doctors that he was seriously considering shipping Ballack off. Jogi Low had to eat humble pie. Everton's David Moyes threw a fit when he said that witch doctors were trying to force Tim Cahill's recovery for Australia's World Cup 2006 opener against Japan. Sir Alex considered a lawsuit against the FA if Rooney came back as damaged goods from the World Cup. Obviously such measures are protective in nature and serve the club's self interest but they also sub-consciously create conditions where players have to choose between their bread and butter and abstractions such as national pride. Doubts like these can lead to fluctuations in motivation and performance as can levels of fitness and fatigue.

Factors such as these are partly responsible for England's failure on the international level apart from a whole horde of tactical shortcomings and perceived lack of talent. But all these factors put together also affect English League overseas players when they play for their national squads.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The newspapers in Spain are touting the new muscular and sleek Spanish team, unified in purpose. The future lies bright as Luis Aragones has molded a team that is young and resilient.

"Spain must decide whether it wants to be a bull or matador", proclaimed Cesar Luis Menotti.

This Spanish team has found ways to be both. Under Aragones and his successor in waiting Vincent Del Bosque, they are now a serious challenge to German and Italian supremacy.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Expect David Villa not to be in the line up, the Valencia striker has a muscle tear in his thigh and has been ruled out.

Expect Cesc Fabregas to start. Arsenal's maestro has been having quite a tournament

Expect Michael Ballack to be a gametime decision.

Expect a foul filled initial 20 minutes as the Germans try and break the rhythm of the free flowing Spanish midfield.

Expect very few aerial balls from Spain as the longer limbed Germans would have a field day.

Expect Germans to loft the ball to Klose and Ballack to beat out the shorter Spanish defence.

Expect the German left flank with Lahm and Podolski to be hyperactive in attack.

Expect David Silva to be a thorn in Arne Friedrich's side, and in general, the whole German side

Expect Jens Lehmann to cause a few heart attacks on either side.

Expect Fernando Torres to break his Luca Toni like dry spell.

Expect Cesc Fabregas to stamp his authority in attack.

Expect Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder to look nonplussed.

Expect Tommy Smyth to have an orgasm everytime Germany touches the ball.

Expect Angela Merkel in German face paint and a beer in her hand.

Expect Spain to beat Germany.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Germany will be feeling a bit relieved as Spain will be without David Villa who has been ruled out with a muscle tear in his thigh. But they still have Torres and Guiza to contend with. And Silva, Fabregas, Iniesta, Xavi, Senna, and Ramos.

This Spanish team is not afraid to let it fly from long distance and Lehmann's reflexes will be sorely tested. He was not upto the task when he deflected a shot onto the post and the ball came back to Ivica Olic for Croatia's second goal. Against Turkey, Lehmann could not stop Ugur Boral's weakly struck shot.

I expect the Spanish team to come out smoking, creating chances with their clever interlocking play as they pull and probe the German defence and soften them up with their 20-30 pass sequences. Lehmann better be on top of his game to keep the Germans competitive. He has looked tentative, been caught out of position and not clean with his collection.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spain made it to the Euro finals after 44 years. So long ago it came during Francisco Franco's iron fisted rule, an era abhorred and overturned by thousands who have made Spain, a beacon of democracy and social progressivism.

Today's match against Russia turned out to be anti-climactic as Guus Hiddink's team was a shadow of itself, tentative and tremulous. Andrei Arshavin chose the wrong match to turn invisible. Roman Pavlyuchenko provided a few uplifting moments for the Russian fans but the Spanish defence and Iker Casillas proved to be a step quicker, in a reversal of the much parodied versions of earlier teams.

Spain right from the outset went on the attack and tested Igor Akinfeev with some smart and crisp volleys which was a good tactic as the incessant rain made the ball slick and hard to handle. Fabregas introduction for the injured David Villa as the slot striker leaving Torres up front was a bit surprising (he usually replaces Xavi) introduced a crisper passing game. But the Russians managed to battle the first half to a draw.

The second half saw some of the most scintillating soccer from Spain as their fluid midfield led by Iniesta, Xavi, and Fabregas began wearing down the Russian defence. The stalemate ended when Xavi smartly sliced the ball past Akinfeev from a heads up pass by Iniesta after a lovely bit of passing. Torres was surprisingly taken off and replaced by Dani Guiza. To be fair, Torres was a thorn in the Russian side but he seemed to be just a bit off his timing. Aragones probably realized that he needed at least one more goal to put this past the Russians to avoid a Turkish surprise.

His move paid dividends as minutes later in a brilliant 1-2, Fabregas adroitly lifted the ball past Ignasevich and Guiza chested it down and toed it past Akinfeev to score the second goal. Then after a great bout of passing, Iniesta hands of to Fabregas, whose run ends in his pass threading the needle to find Silva, and the diminutive left footed winger controls the ball, shifting it to his natural foot and lays the ball into goal. Spain is three up and the nail is in the coffin.

The Russians were outdone by a superior team and their fairy tale written largely by Arshavin's exploits, came to an end. Except for a few moments, the fluid and open style that the Russians used to shell shock the Netherlands was missing. In its place, the Russians became as predictable as the Italians as they sought their big man, Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Correction: Spain also made it to the 1984 Euro finals where they were beaten by France, 0-2.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Germany and Turkey meet tomorrow on the field it will not be just another soccer match but one which reflects deep socio-political connections between the two countries largely though the prism of the 2.5 million people of Turkish ethnicity living in Germany.

Tomorrow's match raises to the fore, the heated issue of German attempts at Turkish integration and its success. Both countries will get to see Hamit Altintop and Hakan Balta, German born players of Turkish ethnicity, who have opted to play for their country of origin. This is the first major clash between the two countries, and on the eve of the match, many on the political left believe that the two players chose to play for Turkey because assimilation has not gone far enough. Politicians from the right tout Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski as success stories in German integration, which seems to be a bit of a stretch, given that they come from Poland, a neighbouring country, where German is the second language.

The answer lies in the way Germany set about ignoring the citizenship claims of hundreds of thousands of Turkish guest workers invited by Germany in the post World War II reconstruction phase, once they settled down, learned the language, began families, and started the process of assimilation. Germany then shut down the guest worker program in the early 70s and then tried to get rid of the existing workers, even giving them cash awards to return. The immigration laws were not very kind to the subsequent generations also leaving the status of German born Turks in limbo.

German laws till very recently, did not grant citizenship to children of foreign born parents, even as German Turks enter their third generation. In fact, only about 30% of the population have been granted citizenship. New federal laws passed in 2000 under Gerhard Schroeder sped up the process of naturalization but left it up to the state to decide on how immigrants were perceived to uphold the constitution. The southern state of Baden Wurttemberg now requires that potential citizens from Muslim countries answer questions pertaining to their cultural beliefs, grounds for disqualification if they are anathema to Western tenets. The large Turkish population in that state sees this as racist and discriminatory, and a further obstacle to their integration.

More recently, tensions between Angela Merkel and Tayyip Erdogan flared up over rules which increase the bar on family re-unification. Turks joining their families have to now learn basic Deutsch. This marginalizes families from more remote regions of Turkey where German classes are not readily available.

Erdogan's visit wih Merkel came at a time when German - Turkish community relations were already at a low ebb. A fire had killed nine Turks, five of them children, in the German state of Hesse. It was widely suspected but not proven to be a hate crime. Erdogan to allay Turkish fears, in a populist speech, exhorted the Turkish community to remain aloof from German society and to take pride in Turkish culture and its language. To many Germans, already suspicious of Muslims following 9/11, it appeared that Erdogan, a devout Islamist, was fueling the feeling of alienation which many Turks publicly acknowledge. His first visit ended with widespread condemnation by the German media. The talk of attending Turkish language schools should be seen in the context of German dismay with the erosion of its world rankings in reading and math largely because of the poor performance of its "migration background" children. This illustrates the quintessential Turkish conundrum. In order to assimilate, the Turks learn German, the benefits of which have not paid off in terms of citizenship, higher education or employment. Germany nationalists are quick to blame the Turks for their country's high unemployment rate, increasing crime, and falling educational standards. However, embracing the Turkish language and culture, would be perceived as reactionary, the genesis of a parallel culture which many Germans see as responsible for breeding radical Islam.

It is not just Germany's foot-dragging of the immigration issue that has disenchanted millions of Turks in Germany but also the larger issue of Turkey's integration into the EU. Angela Merkel and the CDU want a more diluted version of full membership, in which Turkey will be accorded special privileges, with cultural and economic caveats.

Even Hamit Altintop acknowledges that this is not just a soccer match, its implications are far more significant, and that he dances a delicate dance.

"It will be a very special game for me," Altintop said. "I have Germany to thank for a lot -- actually for everything…. I would be very happy if every fan were to see Wednesday's game as a huge folk festival between the two countries. Regardless of the result, the game is an excellent opportunity to take another step toward the much-discussed goal of integration."

I don't think German fans will be so sanguine if he scores the winning goal. In soccer, rationalization is best left to managers and pundits.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The man who has made it a mission to bleach Brazil of the memories of the Tele Santana era and has some success doing it his way with his system of prizing workman like players and sound technical skills over artistry and attacking play is having a hard time motivating Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers. They are presently 5th in the group with nine points, having survived a dreary draw against Argentina. The Seleccao have dropped points with draws against lowly Peru and Colombia, and then losing to Paraguay. Their one bright spot is a 2-1 win over Uruguay and a 5-0 drubbing of Ecuador.

The Brazilian press and the public have hammered Dunga's approach.

Dunga's playbook revolves around creating a seamless connection between the attack and the defense through his system of holding and attacking midfielders. Elano, Julio Baptista and Gilberto Silva figure as the featured players. The defense has cemented around Lucio, Juan, Dani Alves, and Maicon, with a decidedly physical style of play (Argentina learned this the hard way at the 2007 Copa America). However, in this scheme of play, it is the attack that has been susceptible to Dunga's vagaries and has a decidedly unsettled look.

Earlier tinkering saw lesser lights Vagner Love, Daniel Carvalho, Rafael Sobis, and Luis Fabiano getting the call once Dunga was made manager in the aftermath of Brazil's poor showing in the 2006 World Cup. This was probably natural as none of the marquee players played to their capability. Dunga did eventually recall Kaka. But Dunga's initial rejection probably accounts for the AC Milan star's lukewarm national commitment. Robinho's performance of late has been abysmal, Adriano and Ronaldinho's hard partying has attracted more news media than their no shows on the field. Fred has had a look in but the Lyon striker is not the easiest to discipline. Alexandre Pato remains the one bright spot having an impressive first season for Inter. The attack therefore has been very patchy going through goal scoring droughts.

Dunga has also shifted his emphasis from open field goals to set pieces and Elano, Julio Baptista and a 6' defense offers Brazil their best chance of scoring such goals. This leaves Brazil exposed to fast counter attacks which takes advantage of slow reacting or an out of position defenses. Paraguay was able to win through such means.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just when Andrea Pirlo was showing his best form in a while, against France, he picks up his second yellow card and misses his match against Spain. In the absence of Italy's medio, you have to fancy Spain's chances. Previous meetings have been exercises in futility for Spain whose fragile psyche will be tested by the Italians who thrive on opportunism. But this is a Spain whose midfield is so gifted, that Cesc Fabregas comes on as a substitute for Xavi Fernandez. They also have Andres Iniesta who has had a muted tournament so far.

The find so far has been David Silva, a diminutive winger, who has been a live wire with his versatility, speed and outstanding ball control. He stretches the game out wide and uses both flanks equally well. Swedish defenders had a hard time stopping his crossing runs one of which led to the Torres goal.

Spain's game is very circumscribed. Their success lies in their midfield creating chances for Torres and Villa to score, rarely do they themselves avail of scoring opportunities. Against Sweden it became de riguer to watch 20- 30 passes strung together as the midfield probed the Swedish defense seeking supply lanes for the strikers to score. The Swedes were very good at crowding them out.

The tie was broken in heartbreaking fashion in extra time as David Villa latched onto a long ball beating the Swedish defenders. They will have to employ the same unorthodox methods against Italy which will be gearing up for Spain's control of the midfield. Italy on the other hand have won even with their biggest scoring threat, Luca Toni registering no goals.

Spain's weakest link remains the defence. Carlos Puyol and Carlos Marchena provide bulk but also a great deal of inertia, Puyol in particular has been slowed down by niggling injuries, Sergio Ramos has great pace but his defensive instincts are somewhat suspect. The one bright spot has been Marcos Senna, whose defensive organization is similar to that of Gilberto, while providing a threat on set pieces too.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I watched the LA Galaxy clobber the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend thanks to Edson Buddle's hat trick. David Beckham's name was barely mentioned a half dozen times, he was that inconsequential in the win. So far he has been rugged, injury free, playing almost a 1000 minutes, scoring some important goals, and assisting in half a dozen more. He also leads unsurprisingly, the fan balloting for the All Star MLS team. He is an important reason for the LA Galaxy's top spot in the Western Division.

But his contribution has been overshadowed by Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon, and Edson Buddle, who between them, have scored 20 goals and assisted in a dozen more which comes as a great relief because it means that the MLS is more than just Beckham. It also proves the preening braggadocio of Alexi Lalas and Don Garber when Beckham came into town. With the advent of Becks there would be no daylight between the MLS and the Premiership.

As it stands, Beckham is not even in the running for the Golden Boot. A marked climbdown for the anointed saviour of the MLS.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Its a pretty empty studio at halftime for the last round of matches. Rece Davis with Julie Foudy. Its a relief not to hear or look at that gnome Tommy Smyth who pound for pound is the most obnoxious and annoying sports pundit. His buffoonish attempts at humour are usually swatted away by Derek Rae with , "I won't go there." Rae is a decent bloke and his commentary is usually on the mark. Nothing spectacular but he takes the edge having to listen to Smyth and his “bulges the corner of the auld onion bag”.

Andy Gray is a bit more palatable, but by not much. He comes across as judgmental. He has this penchant of saying "Italian nation" as if it is some metaphysical place. He belittled Austria's effort against Germany saying that they did not have any quality. Well, apart from Ballack's free kick, I saw very little quality from the three time Euro and World Cup champions. Austria would have loved to have the chance that Mario Gomez so execrably missed. A colicky baby kicking his legs could have gotten that ball across. Adrian Healey, the commentator, provides a soothing balm.

Julie Foudy does sum up the game nicely in broad strokes but she knows very little about tactics and even less about the teams and its players. I am surprised that ESPN with access to so many ex-players and coaches does not try and get some aboard. Juergen Klinsmann may have turned down the US coaching job but he could be courted as an analyst. He lives here. Ever thought about that, ESPN?? And does the halftime show have to become the news source for other sports like Willy Randolph's firing or peddling the NBA finals on ABC. Did we get to hear Stan Van Gundy or Mark Jackson reminding us to turn to ESPN Classics for the Sweden vs Russia game?

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Andy Gray said "This is the best I have seen seen Turkey play." Me thinks he held back a bit. It would not have been awry if he had said that this was the best any team could have played. In the second half the sea of red breached the white shores time and time again. The 25,000 Turkish fans raining down Turkiye Turkiye provided a lifeline to their players, and not even Jaroslav Plaisil's goal could snuff out what now looks like destiny. Tuncay Sanli embodied the Turkish renaissance. There he was blasting a 20 foot piledriver, running back to tackle Jans Koller, laying a pass for Nishat to score a goal. And so when Volkan Demirel was red-carded, Fatih Terim without hesitation gave the goalie jersey to his most omnipresent player. By the time the match ended, Tuncay had played every position known to soccer.

Tuncay was magnificent. So was Nishat. So was Turan. So was Altintop. The Turks tore up the Czech defense in the second half reducing them to bystanders. Aeons had passed since the Jan Koller and Jaroslav Plasil goals gave Bruckner's team a comfortable 2 goal lead. The Czechs were well on their way to the Geneva pubs to cement their reputation as the hardest drinking nation.

Two things took place to derail that celebration. The Turks kept coming in suffocating waves mostly down the right where Marek Jankulovski and David Rozenhal gave away generous clumps of real estate which Sanli and Altintop exploited to feed Nishat and Turan. And under the unrelenting pressure the normally adroit Petr Cech crumbled.

Cech barely caught a whiff of the Turan goal. And minutes later he had an even more unforgivable mistake as he dropped an Altintop cross and an opportunistic Nishat cashed in on the mistake. The Turks had stormed back. This match was going to PKs. Or so everyone thought. Tuncay Sanli had other thoughts and lofted a pass that Galasek waffled on. The result was an onside Nishat who smartly angled the ball to the right of Cech. In a short span of 14 minutes the Turks scored three goals to turn conventional wisdom on its head.

And the other match saw Hakan Yakin, a Swiss player of Turkish origin, score two goals against Portugal as the hosts ended their Euro run on a positive note. Everyone is talking about the obligatory Brazilian in the national side. How about the obligatory Turk?

So I ask this question. Turkey is unwanted by the EU. Why would they want membership when they perform best with that chip on their shoulder?

Posted by Shourin Roy at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Video evidence of the carribean cruise that the english team went on.Becks only managed to be captain for the first half.That apparently was enough to get Jack Warner's votes.Gareth Barry took over the reins in the second half.Two goals were scored when Beckham was captain and one while Barry was captain.More on the game and the politics here and here in that order.

Posted by Anish at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Roberto Mancini seems to be going for legal action against Inter Milan.Not for being being sacked after taking Inter to three Serie A titles but for allegations which have "gravely damaged (his) honour and reputation."

Posted by Anish at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's start a rumor.

Now that Avram Grant's been shown the door by Peter Kenyon cuz he couldn't fill Mourinho's shoes, who do you think could or should?

My answer: Mourinho!

Unfortunately, that ain't happenin. Mourinho is going to Inter. And he hopes to take Lampard, Essien, and Drogba with him...

Is Abramovich a fool? No, just another boss with an ego the size of Siberia. So hang in there, Chelsea. You could be getting Hiddink or Rijkaard.

Posted by Christian at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My wife says "Hillary gets a red card!" Here's her guest post>>

I've always hated the misogyny in this song, but now nothing could be more apropos as Hillary's Swan Song:

"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don't understand it."

And previously in March:

TIME: Can you envision a point at which--if the race stays this close--Democratic Party elders would step in and say, "This is now hurting the party and whoever will be the nominee in the fall"?

CLINTON: No, I really can't. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.

Posted by Cathy Sarkar

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Posted by Christian at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Muslim groups have urged the Malaysian government to stop Chelsea's two Israelis - Avram Grant and midfielder Tal Ben Haim from entering the country when the team visits in July, warning the tour could face protests if they are allowed in.
At the moment the government seems to be standing its ground on the issue.

Posted by Anish at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photo of Blatter grimacing as he is rapped on the knuckles of his left hand by the European Commission for being sneaky.He has apparently been making devious attempts at bypassing EU labour laws by trying to reach deals with national associations at FIFA's annual congress next month to limit teams to five foreign nationals on the pitch.
The European Commission has warned FIFA not to seek "gentleman's agreements" to limit foreign players at soccer clubs, which risk costly court cases like the Bosman ruling.
"EU laws are superior to any such gentleman's agreements," an official at the EU executive familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday - shortly after he had finished whacking Blatter on the knuckles..!.More here..

Posted by Anish at 5:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand today and was taken into custody, released on bail, and will stand trial before the country's Supreme Court on March 8th on corruption charges which include tax evasion and nepotism. He returned because the country's political environment changed in his favour.

Some immediate questions. If Thaksin is found guilty, does this mean that Man City will lose out on the some £800m frozen by the military junta? Even if his assets are released, would it benefit the club in time?

An encouraging sign is the agency responsible for freezing his millions is coming under increased scrutiny and it appears that the present government will close it down. That could lead to his assets being released.

Precious money that could keep a club afloat. Thaksin has been a low profile but unmistakable presence at Eastlands since he took up ownership; instrumental in hiring Sven Goran Erickson and getting the players that make a difference. City's chances of achieving an UEFA spot have never been better. In February they beat rivals Man Utd twice for the first time since 1968.

I think the answer becomes more clearcut if he decides to stay on and re-enter politics. He has denied an interest but he and his party, the PPP represent the interests of the millions of working class Thais, in opposition to the military junta and conservative forces which have been in a battle for ascendancy since Shinawatra came to power in 2001. They took advantage of his absence at a UN General Assembly meeting in 2006 to stage a coup.

The PPP came back as the majority partner in the coalition government last December but their fortunes could evaporate because of increasing disarray. The Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej faces charges for a cover up in the assault of pro-democracy activists in 1976 that led to a number of deaths. Another leader faces charges of electoral fraud which has been upheld by the Election Commission and the election result could hinge on a Supreme Court verdict.

Most importantly, the populist agenda that Thaksin built around his party appears to have come unglued since his absence. His re-entry on the ground should rally his party under his leadership and keep the public pressure focused on dismantling the roadblocks that the military junta installed.

His presence is important because the media which has never been kind to him on his human rights violations will try and sway public opinion currently siding with him. There are a number of court cases including the Supreme Court's corruption and conflict of interest charges against a land deal involving him and his wife. The Attorney General's office has filed another charge of concealment of shares in a real estate holding company. Most previous charges filed by the military junta have proven unfounded.

Thaksin's millions of supporters and his acolytes in the present government are asking him to take up the political reins once more. His comeback will put pressure on the Supreme Court to acquit him, since in the court of public opinion, he has already been exonerated. If successful, it should put the nail in the agency's coffin. The money could be released quickly enough to reassure anxious Man City fans. Their owner will be now free to come and go as he pleases. Which is more than I can say about Tom Hicks who probably requires a security detail to come to Anfield.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This really looks like a 'clumsy tackle'.

Its taken little time but the media seems to be internalizing Martin Taylor's tackle as 'clumsy'. We can debate that. Its better than stupid or dirty. Blame it on a disobedient limb, on a transient mind-body disconnection. Be that as it may, the media circus that followed was clumsy. Richard Scudamore could not even take a break from defending his plan to voice regret.

Usually injuries of such a nature which threaten to end a player's career call for some introspection; to make the game safer, which really should be the issue. The Premiership is a huge draw for the world's best players. But there are other leagues that compete for them too and a player's decision to join hinges around a myriad of factors. One of them is surprise, surprise, the ability to remain healthy. Are we doing enough to protect them? But the singular lack of such debate which instead focuses on Wenger's reaction, Gallas's flare up, or Taylor's character is glaring. I used to think American talking heads were brain dead. Their counterparts across the pond are proving to be equally lobotomized.

There are international repercussions too. The Croatian media has been all over this story. They have pursued Taylor, fans have issued death threats, and to top it all, Slaven Bilic is one unhappy man. His star striker made the English defense look like penguins with two left feet, scored the most goals for their team, and led them to a top spot, after his team administered England's Euro coup de grace is now gone. Less than a year ago, Eduardo's Premiership departure was being hailed in his club as a breakthrough. A recognition of his skills with the possibility of becoming even better.

He is coming back with a crippling career ending injury. Yet, English fans are squabbling over Wenger's hyperbole, Scudamore is busy touting his 39 steps to more greed, and the media is closing ranks around Taylor. Where is the humanity?

There is enough hint of a conspiracy to make one suspect that some Croatian players might be tempted to test the 'clumsy tackle' theory themselves when they meet England next which will be soon. They might hold back for a less consequential meeting but there is every potential that it could happen. There are different types of payback.

The Premiership is on its way to becoming a giant echo chamber. This was an instance for the powers to be to acknowledge that there are countries who define themselves through their national team. But once Scudamore got the memo that Taylor's tackle was just 'clumsy', there was nothing left to say or do. Move on. Greed is indeed clarifying.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The key issue is as Michael Gleeson explains the AFL and Rugby League working around the World Cup schedule to free up the stadiums. The question is why would they. Soccer poses a serious and credible threat to their popularity.

Its been a climb since Johnny Warren wrote his memoir documenting the biases of the rabid fan base of Aussie rules. Some of it still persists but Australia is not the isolated outpost of yore. The hinterland might occasionally simmer but there is no escaping a thriving country very much part of the global economy, a huge driver of quality education, with a relatively transparent immigration process that attracts thousands.

From a soccer standpoint, Australia is now part of the Asia zone where millions follow soccer. It is a much tougher group of countries to play against. Most of the nancy boy derision that soccer faced was because of the weak competition in the Oceanic zone where they would run up scores against Western Samoa. Politically too, there is a change. John Howard's us and them fear mongering was fiercely rejected by a majority. The new PM, Kevin Rudd has ushered in a new era of reconciliation with a long due apology for the inequities suffered by the indigenous people of Australia. A mere band aid with much more to do. But it is a start. Soccer is part of Australia's re-evaluation of the past and its ability to move forward.

For what it is worth, Aussies are sports lovers. If a sport has a chance to flourish, introduce it in Australia first. There is nothing that they do not play and they become incredibly good at it. Every sport has a well supported niche and soccer has after a rough start, established itself. There is also no drop off in rugby's popularity in countries that also play soccer. Both sports enjoy separate audiences.

In the end, the AFL and Rugby League stand to look pretty small minded and insecure if they do not work with the World Cup bid committee to sort out this scheduling issue. Their fears are unfounded.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

William Gallas should comport himself as Arsenal's leader. He was understandably frustrated with the penalty decision and Eduardo's injury that saw a game slip away. But the occasion demanded that Gallas not take that armband lightly. Instead, he acted out in an unseemly fashion. What sort of example are you setting for players like Eboue and his impulse control problems?

At this stage, more than anything else, Arsenal's young team needs a rallying point in their quest for the league title. I agree with Arseblog that do this for Eduardo would be powerful motivation. The pundits wrote off Arsenal at the beginning of the season and here we are end of Feb at the top of the table. There would be nothing sweeter than seeing Eduardo hoisting that silverware with the rest of his mates in May. We can do this.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You can put lipstick on a pig......

Corpulent shareholder Alisher Usmanov has become Arsenal's largest shareholder, moving past Danny Fizsman, positioning himself for a club takeover. His takeover will pave the way for David Dein.

Remember how Dein had used the Henry transfer to justify that the wheels were falling off, surreptitiously maneuvering a takeover, first with Kroenke and now with Usmanov.

Usmanov's potential buyout benefits no one, least of all the club, as it has gained financial strength (Arsenal climbed to 5th in the world's richest clubs) without a takeover. Furthermore, Arsenal is in a good position to win silverware this year without adding any costly transfers to the squad. The financial future of the club remains strong.

We should remember that Arsenal has managed very well without these so called well wishers. The club should not be used by those who want to whitewash their baggage.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PRISTINA, Kosovo, Feb. 17

Kosovo declared its independence today from Serbia.

And that my friends should be another welcome addition to the soccer world.

Kosovo follows in the footsteps of Montenegro which broke off from Serbia weeks before the 2006 World Cup although the soccer team played under the unified banner of Serbia- Montenegro.

Kosovo will be FIFA's 209th member. They have a long standing team as yet unrecognized by FIFA and UEFA because Kosovo was occupied initially by Yugoslavia before NATO forces intervened in the Balkan crisis in 1999 and handed its administration to the UN. The most visible way to announce to the world that Kosovo is a independent entity is to get ratification from UEFA and FIFA and become eligible for the Euro and the World Cup.

Thus begins a dilemma for many Albania squad players born in Kosovo who might be eligible for the new Kosovo national team. This includes Lorik Cana, the captain of Olympique Marseille and Besart Berisha who recently transfered to Burnley FC from Hamburger SV, and Samir Ujkani, the U-21 goalie who plays for Palermo.

There are also a number of Kosovar Albanian players scattered throughout Europe in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Germany who may be tempted to become part of the Kosovo national team. Players such as Valon Behrami of Lazio who has already played for the Switzerland national squad, Liverpool's hottest youth prospect, Astrit Ajdarevic, a Swedish U21 international, and Faton Toski, of Eintracht Frankfurt, a member of Germany's U-19 squad.

For those history buffs the provisional Kosovo national team played its first game against Albania losing, 0-3 on Feb 14, 1993.

Finnish international and human bulldozer, Shefki Kuqi at present on loan to Fulham is Kosovar Albanian in origin. But he may not switch his allegiance from the land of Koskenkorva and Sillanpaa.

Posted by Shourin Roy at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)